


My Arthur Pendragon

by Idk_hi_iguess



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: BAMF Arthur, Boys In Love, Episode: s01e04 The Poisoned Chalice, M/M, Poison, The Knights of the Round Table - Freeform, not really hes hanging off a rock face to save his lover, rock climbing!, royal consort, sick Merlin
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-05
Updated: 2019-02-05
Packaged: 2019-10-23 00:56:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,694
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17673347
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Idk_hi_iguess/pseuds/Idk_hi_iguess
Summary: Merlin is Arthur's consort, which means people would do anything to get him out of the way to bring Camelot to it's knees.Aka: Merlin gets a lil sick and Arthur has to go on a death mission to save him. Also Gwen was made a member of the Court as an adviser and set when Uther is dead. Also Arthur loves Merlin very much.





	My Arthur Pendragon

He sat alone, almost isolated as Arthur made conversation with the surrounding Knights and King Alfred of Wessex. Merlin liked this king, he seemed jovial and didn’t ignore him completely; he also treated the servants and Gaius with respect and was young and different, looking for peace. 

It was a refreshing break from the usual type of king that stopped by Camelot. 

The food was spectacular, it clear Arthur had pulled out all the stops for this. Alfred tried to engage him in conversation, “Your Kingdom is beautiful, do you know if there will be a hunt?” 

He forced a smile and replied, “Yes, I’m sure Arthur will take you and his Knights. I probably won’t attend, I hope you aren’t offended,”

Alfred smiled, scoffing as he clapped Merlin’s shoulder, “Why would I be offended? Come, you must have some of this mead. You know, I always did hear that Camelot had the best in the lands-” He motioned over a serving girl and flashed her a dazzling smile as she poured two glasses, “-But I found myself doubting it. But now I’m sure they’re true, I’ve never had nicer,”  He threw his head back to laugh and Merlin chuckled slightly to show his appreciation. 

“I think you’ll fine Sir Gwaine to agree with you on that,” Merlin pointed to the long haired knight who was knocking back a fourteenth pint of mead. 

Alfred nodded, looking impressed, “I do like a man who can hold his ale,” 

Wrapping an arm around Merlin, Arthur butted into the conversation, “I apologize, but I believe it is time for the toasts?” 

“Of course!” Alfred smiled and stood up, “You don’t mind if I go first?”

“Not at all,” 

The room fell silent and everyone turned to Alfred waiting for him to speak. “May I just say that Camelot has been welcoming, a beautiful Kingdom that anyone would be proud to lead,” He raised his goblet to Arthur and there was a smattering of applause, “I look forward to a lifetime of peace and prosperity between our two kingdoms. Please accept this gift-” He motioned to a corner where a Servant dressed in fine clothes stepped forward with an ornate wooden box, “- as a gift of peace.” 

The servant stepped towards the place where Arthur and Merlin sat side by side, proffering the gift. It was two goblets, not as fine as the products Camelot could create, but no one mentioned it. They were silver, with yellow gemstones studded around the base. Merlin’s face split into a smile as Arthur passed him his to have a better look. 

Arthur gave his congratulations and their gift, ceremonial armor made by the armory. A serving girl came forward and poured them mead, they stood up and King Alfred and Arthur each said a toast. They nodded at each other and collectively the room drank. 

His husband clapped him on the back and clinked his glass with Alfred and the surrounding knights. A burning sensation slipped down his throat and he gasped, trying to draw breath. His sight flashed white and nothing was in focus, and fear lept in his stomach. 

Blindly, he hit at the air, trying to get Arthur’s attention, and he slipped out of consciousness, dropping the goblet. 

~

He smiled at the King, clapping Merlin on the back and laughing with his knights. The success of the peace treaty was a big milestone, and with the new allies he could work towards a better Albion. From behind him, he felt a slight hit on his waist, and smirked. Merlin was always a tease when he they were in public. 

He reached behind him to pull Merlin to his side, they could have this moment of victory together. He couldn’t feel Merlin and he felt another hit, this time on his back. 

Whipping around, he looked at Merlin just in time to see him clutch at his throat. He had a heart stopping moment as he tried to reach for him, and time seemed to slow as he fell to the floor, and he rushed to his side, heart leaping in his chest. 

Cries from around him were blocked out as he scooped up Merlin and cradled his fragile body to his chest, running out of the hall. He knew that his knights would take care of the King and his knights that had tried to hurt Merlin. 

_ Not tried, _

He reminded himself,

_ Merlin wouldn’t be here, in your arms, possibly dead, if he had just tried. _

_ He’d just succeeded.  _

Behind him, Gaius followed, walking through the halls at a fast pace, and they reached his chambers. Arthur laid Merlin down on the bed, carefully positioning his head on a pillow, “Do you know what poisoned him?”

Gaius checked his pulse and felt his forehead, brow furrowing, “I’m not sure, Sire, but bring me the goblet and I can find what’s in it,” 

The door opened and Lancelot burst in, holding the goblet, “I thought you might need this?” Gaius nodded and took it over to his station. Arthur sat at the chair beside the bed and squeezed his hand, rubbing his thumb against Merlin’s knuckles. 

After a few minutes Gaius tapped him on the shoulder, “Sire, I think I know the poison. It is the Mortaeus flower, stuck at the bottom,” 

“But - but why Merlin?”  

“I don’t know Sire. But the Mortaeus flower is deadly. Fatal in days and it’s a slow and painful death,”

His mouth went dry and he stared at Gaius in shock, “Is… is there a cure?” 

“Yes. The Mortaeus leaf, ground with freezing water.” His lips pressed together and Gaius walked back to the book, “The leaf cannot be found anywhere except the Caves of Balor. Which is a two days ride away.”

At the grim sound of his voice, Arthur frowned, “How long… how long has he got?” 

“About three to four days, but if it’s magically infused, then two days.”

He looked up, silently sending a prayer to his Mother, “Then I should leave. Lancelot? Can you get the knights together?” 

He nodded and ran out of the room, yelling for the knights of the round table. “Sire, it’s dangerous. Almost a death mission.”

Arthur sat down again, taking Merlin’s hand and kissing it. Tactfully, Gaius walked away and went up the ladder to the library. “I’ll come back for you. I’ll come back for you darling. You just stay alive until then.” 

Gaius waved him out of the door and he ran down to the weapons room. They were all getting ready in silence, helping each other with the armour. When Arthur walked in they looked up at him, worried faces asking him the same question. “Why do we have to leave. Lancelot wouldn’t explain it?” Leon broke the silence. 

“We have to go to the caves of Balor and find the Mortaeus leaf. We have to be quick.”

He started dressing himself and the silence resumed. Once they were done, they made to walk to the stables. Someone had already packed the horses. 

Gwen saw them off and Arthur left her the seal. She was his best friend, most trusted adviser, and he knew she could handle being Queen if he didn’t come back. 

They rode through the night, Leon at the front holding a lamp. It wasn’t ideal, but they had to do this. 

~

They arrived at the Caves, and Leon refused to allow Arthur to lead the way, instead going in first himself, then Percival. After an hour of searching, the darkness in the caves got too great and they had to come back, vowing to trying again in the morning. Arthur couldn’t settle down to, he knew by now that he should just give up. Merlin would be dead by now, if not then he’d be soon, and definitely by the time he got back. Curling in on himself, he gripped the neckerchief he had wrapped around his knuckled, letting some tears to seep into the red fabric. 

Once he’d got it all out and he was sure that no one else was awake, he crept out of the camp and into the cave, placing a lantern on the floor of the rock. Carefully distributing his weight, he edged along the side of the cavern, to where they’d spotted the flower. Before he could jump back, the rock he was sat on began to gave way, and he lurched for the side of the cavern. He barely managed to grab a jutting out piece of rock, and the one hand he had holding that was all that stood between him and a freefall into a black abyss. 

Gathering his remaining strength, he pulled himself up, picturing Merlin’s face early in the morning in the summer, when light filtered through the window and he still had sleep crust in the corner of his eye. He was usually grumpy early in the morning and so Arthur had adopted the policy of refusing to give him a good morning kiss until he was up and awake. A tear seeped from under his eyelashes and he nearly collapsed, feet scrambling for a hold he couldn’t see. 

His breath caught ragged in his throat and he grunted, squeezing his eyes together. When he reopened his eyes, a light, a glowing ball of hope, was floating from the bottom of the cavern. He eyed it suspiciously, but the light from it was providing him with the ability to see, and so he could pull himself up onto a piece of rock jutting out above him. He stood precariously on the edge of the rock, and saw a flower, almost glowing the cave. 

Reaching up high as he could without falling into the abyss, he attempted to grab it. He pushed himself even further up and slid back down the rock face, fear making him reach out blindly for anything to keep him suspended. 

Voices came from the tunnel and he recognized them as the knights. At the sight of their king and friend hanging from the rock face by his fingertips, they stood stock still. “Sire!” 

“I’ve… almost got it,” He grunted, finding a rock to put his foot on and hoisting himself up. He stretched and grabbed the flower, shoving it into his leather pouch. The light continued to illuminate place he could grab, and soon he felt slightly less precarious. At the knight’s cries of objection, he continued climbing resolutely. Like a blessing, he reached a ledge and sat on it, looking at his knights below him. “Jump, Sire!” Leon urged him, and the knights edged forward as if to catch him. 

Heart leaping in his chest, he ensured the flower was safe and he was in free fall. A second later he was pulled into the passage by the knights. Behind them, the remaining rock was crumbling, and they ran through the passage out into camp. He chuckled in relief as they raced to pack up the camp. Within minutes, they were gone and the only tell that they had been there was a smoldering fire. 

At a small village the next morning they swapped their horses had a meal before continuing on, faster than before. By the afternoon they had only a half day of riding left, and stopped for another meal in a tavern, putting Percival on ‘Gwaine duty’. 

After only a half hour they were off again, and with an hour, Camelot came into view over a hill. The comforting turrets made them all breathe easier. Urging the horses to keep going, they only had an hour to go at least. 

Unbidden, thoughts intruded into his mind. They’d been gone for four days. That was a maximum Gaius had given Merlin. And that was if he was lucky and Alfred hadn’t used magic. Merlin would probably be dead. He probably died days ago. Maybe alone.

Maybe scared. 

In pain. 

He’d ride into the town square only to find the funeral pyre ready to burn on his return. The light weight of the flower seemed to weight him down as if he had put a collection of rocks in his pocket. They rode through the lower town, passing a crowd of waving people. But their faces were not joyous, they were grim and stony. He allowed himself to breathe when he saw no funeral pyre in the courtyard, but instead there was some wood stacked in the corner, which gave him no comfort. 

Leaping off his horse, he sprinted up the steps and around the maze of passages up to Gaius’ chambers. He burst in, holding the flower aloft, “Gaius! Is he.. Is he alive?” He didn’t dare look at the bed, instead fixing his gaze to Gaius. 

“Barely. You’re just in time. He wouldn’t have lasted the night.” He felt light headed, but brushed it off as he passed the leaf to Gaius. He ground the leaf with a small about of water with a mother of pearl sheen. 

Arthur collapsed on the chair, breathing heavily and finally, finally, laid eyes on Merlin. 

He was taken aback when he saw his Consort, corpse-like, lying on the bed. This eyes were sunken and bruised and his forehead clammy and death white. The only thing that indicated life was the slight rise and fall of his chest. 

He took his hand and held on tight, as if he was a lifeline that was keeping him here. Behind him, Gaius stopped and he whirled around, “Why did you stop?” It came out more aggressive than he’d intended but this was Merlin’s life.  

“I believe the poison was created using Magic. The only reason he’s survived this long was his own magic fighting it. It may take magic to heal him,”

“Well do it, it’s not illegal anymore,”

“I don’t know if I can? It’s been so long since I’ve used it for healing. Usually I can get by-”

“Please try,” He begged, turning back to Merlin. Gaius nodded and said a few words, but Arthur tuned it out to listen for any sign of Merlin breathing. 

The old man settled himself in the other chair, and instructed Arthur to hold Merlin’s nose as he poured the malady down his throat. 

Arthur didn’t dare breathe as Gaius sat back and they waited. The silence felt deafening. When there was no reaction, Arthur moved forward to check his breathing, and like he’d been drenched in cold water, he realized Merlin wasn’t breathing. He exchanged a panicked look with Gaius and lent further forwards to where Merlin’s heart rested, under his clothes. 

The heartbeat was gone. 

“...Merlin,” He whispered, holding onto the corpse like it was his lifeline now, the clammy skin and sweaty rags keeping the King of Camelot alive. A sob wrenched from his throat as it hit him again. He’d never see Merlin again. He’d never wake up to his husband’s sleepy eyes, or hear him singing as he read through the piles of court related letters on his desk. 

He was gone, and nothing could bring him back. Silently, he made a vow to himself, and to Merlin. 

_ Do not ever become as angry as your father. Merlin would be so disappointed.  _

He let out an inhumane howl and he tightened his grip on Merlin’s torso. 

Somewhere through his anger and fear and crushing grief, he felt a hand running through his hair and a comforting voice whispering reassurances in his ear. 

“Hey, it’s alright, I’m here. You did so well, so well. I love you, my Arthur, my Arthur Pendragon,” 

He recognized the voice, and he relaxed into Merlin’s strong arms which wrapped around him, for just a second before it sunk in and he jolted up, looking down into the wonderfully blue, clear, alive eyes of his lover. Merlin chuckled slightly and pulled Arthur back down into a kiss, that tasted awful, but Arthur relished, because a moment ago he was so sure he would never get another one of these. 

They pulled apart and Arthur rested his forehead against Merlin, who was so close when he whispered, it went into his mouth.

“My Arthur Pendragon,” 

**Author's Note:**

> Btw i couldn't be bothered to write it but Gwen gets Alfred to hand over his Kingdom to Camelot and she becomes queen there and brings Morgana back even though it makes no sense back off I love my babes.


End file.
